There was once a time when Game Of Thrones' Kristofer Hivju, better known as Tormund, didn't have a beard. Hard to imagine, we know, but he's got the photo to prove it.

The Norwegian actor known for his bushy red beard shared a pic of himself on Instagram in which he appears clean shaven. Not completely — you can see the beginnings of his beard, a bit of ginger-coloured stubble, but it's still a major shock to see him without his signature facial hair. Honestly, we recommend you take a seat before you take a peek.

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Before you get too worried though, no, this photo isn't some Game Of Thrones season 7 spoiler. You can feel free to continue shipping Tormund and Brienne of Tarth all you want. In fact, we recommend it since the newest GOT photos from the upcoming season include a very smiley Tormund making eyes at Brienne.

This beardless pic just a #TBT to a time long, long ago when Hivju's face was a lot less hairy. "The man has no beard," Hivju captioned the shot — a clever GOT reference —where he's making a rather unenthused face. Honestly, we get it, without his beard we're also a little sadder, but we're definitely very amused by this photo. He's nearly unrecognisable without his beard.

A post shared by Kristofer Hivju (@khivju) on May 4, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

The beard seems to be here to stay, at least as long as Game Of Thrones is. Last year, Hivju, who appears in Fate Of The Furious, told Vulture that HBO owns his beard. "If you look at my beard, there’s a small 'R' there, for the registered trademark symbol," he explained. "It’s not even my property anymore. I look forward to the day when I can shave it, when I can change my look to something fresh and new. But now, it’s how it is."

So, this photo sans beard could be a sly clue to what he's planning after season 8 — if he manages to make it that far. For now, though, Hivju's helping others up their beard game with a video full of tip on how to get his look. Turns out, all you need is beer to get his beard. Oh, and five months.